Help!

I am so sad to be writing this post but it is now out of my hands...Do you remember my intro about my struggles this year with Meniers disease? It has only gotten worse over the past few months and has rendered me useless as a wife, mother, neighbor, church member and a RUNNER. Most days are spent just getting through the basics and many are spent in bed or throwing up. I have been trying everything available to get it under control but nothing is working and it is only getting worse.

This leads to the reason I am posting...I am sad to say that there is no way I am going to be able to run this race. I have been hoping for a miracle but now it is time for reality. I don't want to leave the team with an empty spot so I need your help. Does anyone have a friend, sister, neighbor, who wants to run in my place?

Shirts?

Erin and I ran the Texas Ragnar and we ordered shirts for our team. Thinking we'd do that again, I thought we'd get the ball rolling... so we can come to a conclusion, and not save everything until the last minute (money and sanity wise).

I don't mind coordinating it again... and I don't mind handing off the baton, so to say. So, if you are a graphic designer, married to one, have a burning desire, etc. have at it.

If not, here is the shirt we did for Texas.

Here are the other choices we selected from: (keep in mind, we can change color schemes, fonts, etc.)
choice one
choice two
choice three

We can use the same company (The Graphic Cow). They were super easy to work with. We have to order a minimum of 24 (any combo of long/short sleeve, just all the same color). Shirts ended up being roughly $9/piece. We only had one team, so we each got both a short and long sleeved shirt. How does that sound? Since we have 24 running, you could order as few as 1 or as many as you'd like (we had one who ordered 3, one for each of her legs).

They have roughly 1459760 different designs. Here's the hard part: selecting one. Please think about what you do and don't want. For example, refuse to wear a neon purple shirt (can't blame you there), please let it be known.

Here are my questions to y'all...

Since we are a combo of two teams, anyone have anything creative that can combine Mommies Got Back and Energizer Runnies? (My feeble brain keeps coming back to either Oh Mama or She's Got Legs)

What do we want to be the center theme of the shirt? Motherhood? Mountains? Running shoes? Dots? Flowers? Kittens? Rainbows? OK, no kittens or rainbows allowed.

Do we want to include everyone's names? My hesitation is since we are (hopefully) going to order these early, if someone drops out, and someone comes on board...well... you get the picture.

Now, I am sure I have sent your mind o' spinning. Give it some thought.

We are preparing for a snow storm here in OKC, so I have some 'in house' time to think, too.

Happy Running!
Lindsay

Better Late than Never.....(right?)

Hello Runnin' Friends!


This picture is a little teaser for all of you Wasatch Backers! This is me (in 2007) heading out for my night run at the Wasatch Back. It was 5 miles of running in the dark at 1:45 a.m.. I LOVED it. It was my favorite leg of the race. Can't wait to do it again!

It's time for my overdue introduction.

My name is Chelle (pronounced "Shelly") and I love, love, love to run. I also LOVE to do yoga and have been known to talk for hours with people about both. Wanna? We'll have plenty of time for that when we're stuck in a van at the Wasatch Back!

Yes, I am one of those crazies that is in love with running. I started running right after I got married (14 years age). Before that, I was a running wimp. And I mean a BIG wimp! Example: I begged my Mom in junior high to convince my P.E. teacher that not all of us can run the mileage she was requiring us to run. Umm.... it was maybe 2 miles, if that!

And that is what I love about running. Running truly has changed my life for the better, on the whole. I feel like I can do more in life, and I learned that from running.

So, I am busy, busy (just like the rest of you!) I even feel too busy to update my blog these days, I've decided to share some "basics" with you here and then link to some of the running posts that I've written in the past on my personal blog. I love to read anything about running, and if you are the same... these might be fun to look at (or not!) ; )

I live in SLC with husband (Chris) and four kids, ages 11, 9, 7, 5 (notice how the pattern stops at 5? yep, we're done!!)

I love raising my kids, reading, playing piano (but mostly just end up nagging my kids to practice piano), doing PTA and anything involved in my community, overanalyzing and philosophizing about life (I get myself into trouble with this one, but makes for such fun conversation!) and my second most favorite thing beside running is YOGA! I love it!

Here are some links from my personal blog where I've shared running experiences:

About the Wasatch Back 2007

About the Salt Lake Marathon 2008

About Why I Run

About a Half Marathon (Race Report)

About running and weight (ugh!!)

I can't wait to meet all of you!

GO TEAMS!!

From the long lost captain....

Hey ladies~

Sorry I have been MIA for a while.  February proved to be a harder month for me than I expected.  I think it is because we finally slowed down long enough for the last few months to really settle into our everyday life.  But it is March now and that means a good time to get back on track.  So here is where we stand....

1.  As far as legs I have got team #1 done.  Team #2 I need info from the following people so I can make educated assignments  :)  If you name is on this list please send me an email with which legs you would like....

1.  Angie R

2.  Jennifer P

3. Sarai F

4.  Amy P

5.  Tiffany N

6.  Marianne L

7.  Bethany G

So leg assignments for team #1 are the following at the moment.  If you see something very very wrong let me know and we can get things switched up.

Runner #1  Chelle B

Runner #2  Erin B

Runner #3  Kristyn M

Runner #4  Jill C

Runner #5  Kelly M

Runner #6  Sarah G

Runner #7  Patti D

Runner #8  Lindsay E

Runner #9  Amy H

Runner #10  Roxann

Runner #11  Jenny O

Runner #12  Kari A

2.  We have had a few changes on each of the teams.  I think I have everything correct but if you see something I missed let me know and I can get it fixed.  Also I got an email from Jodi this morning saying that she has an injury which is going to make it impossible for her to join us this year.  So that being said we have one more spot on team 2.  Let's try to get this filled soon.

3.  Runner info with Ragnar.  Several people have not accepted the waiver with Ragnar.  You should have gotten an email from either me (team 1) or Mandy (team 2).  If you need that again let me know and we will get another email sent out to you. 

(still need Chelle, Amy H, Jenny O, Kari A, and a few from team two... Mandy can you let us know)

4.  Introductions are going well but some of you are still in hiding!  Someone suggested linking to peoples introductions so we have.  On the right column if you scroll down past the first list of teams (those links are to peoples blogs) you will see a second version of the same list but names link to their introduction post.  If yours isn't a link yet we are waiting to hear from you.  If you need another invite to the blog let me know and I will get that to you. If you are not a blogger and need help getting things figured out let me know and I can play tech support (that is another hat I wear with my friends and family)

5. VANS!  Do we want them.  I checked around and found Avis has them.  To get 2 for a team it would be about $85 a person to rent them.  We should make a decision on this fairly quickly so we can get them booked as I am sure they will get booked up quickly.  Email me and let me know your thoughts in the next couple of days.  Each team can be different.  After our experience here in Texas I feel the vans are  a VERY VERY good thing.

6.  Is that enough to leave your head spinning?  It is mine so I am out of here for now but promise to be back soon, very very soon!

Erin: info@theribbonspot.com

Which Leg?

Just wondering.... where are we in the process of making leg assignments?

Sarai's Introduction

I am a little late on my introduction, but I guess it's better late than never, so here it goes.

I was born and raised in Mexico, lived there 'til I was 13 yrs old when my parents decided to move to San Antonio Texas. I have practically lived in the U.S.A for more than half of my life (I'm 27 yrs old now). Then again, my parents decided to move. We moved to Utah where I have lived for 8 yrs now. I met my husband a few weeks after arriving in Utah, and got married 2 yrs later. We have been married for 5 yrs and we have two beautiful little girls-a 19 month old, and 3 yrs old, that I get to stay home with. They are so much fun.

Like many of you I was never the athletic type. In fact, I hated to run whenever I was required to (e.i. P.E class) I did some dancing in High School (yes, dancing is a sport) But that was the closest I ever got to being athletic. I started running about 4 yrs ago after my husband and I brought our first baby home, a puppy! and being a puppy he just had so much energy that walking wasn't doing anything to him nor me, so we started running. Then I got pregnant and had my first baby, and instead of one running buddy I had two! Got pregnant again and my running team grew once more. At the beginning my reason for running was only for the weight loss. Last year a friend encourage me to train and enter a 5K race and it was then that running took a whole different meaning. I started running for time and for distance and became hooked on the sense of accomplishment that beating a previous best time or running a longer distance gave me. I am addicted now. Since last year I have ran one 5K and two 10K's and I am currently training for my first half marathon in April.

I am really excited about this race. I saw someone blog in the Marathon Mommies about one of these relay races and I wished I could do something like that, only I would never be able to talk anyone into something like this, so I would only wish.......NOT! This is awesome! Thanks for making my wish come true!

I am the Rookie...

My name is Mandy H. and I live in central California with my husband of eight years and our two kids. I have a four year old girl and a one year old little boy who keep me on my toes, to say the least.

I am originally from Springville, UT where my family still resides. I am the third in a family of nine children. I met my husband when he moved to Utah to attend BYU. After we both graduated with our undergraduate degrees, we moved to Vallejo, California where my husband attended graduate school. Then we moved to central California to be close to my husband’s family.

I graduated with a degree in Accounting and worked as an accountant for 5 years at a CPA firm. I quit work to stay home full time when my little boy was born last January. I love being a stay-at-home-mom and I feel truly blessed that I am able to be home with my children. I do miss doing taxes though. I love the financial world and I am always trying to find a way to keep up on things.

I love to cook and love to bake even more-I have the world’s biggest sweet tooth. I love finding new recipes and I love eating. I really like decorating cakes too. I also like to do crafty projects and I enjoy scrap booking, but I don’t have as much time for that anymore.

Like most of you, I started running as a way to stay in shape and have run casually since high school. I absolutely love it. I love the way I feel after a good run and it has always been a good escape for me. I have just started to get into competitive running. Prior to now I have only ever run a couple of 5k races. I am training right now to run the Pacific Coast half marathon in Agoura Hills this march and my goal is to run a full marathon this fall.

It has been so fun to get to know the rest of you though your introduction. I have been so inspired by all of you and I am excited to meet all of you in June.

legs, legs, who wants what legs?

Ok Ladies~

Let's get some of these decisions taken care of so that I can at least stop using this as an excuse as to why I am not sleeping  :)

I need you to each send me an email with a first, second, and third choice for which runner you want to be.  

For those who don't know how all this fun rotating works, here is a hopefully helpful explanation.  

If you were wanting to be runner #1 you will start us out and run your first leg (leg#1).  You will then be off until your next leg (leg #13) after everyone else takes their first turn.  You then get to have a break while the others go again and then you are up for your last leg (leg #25).  At the end of leg #36 (Runner #12) there will be a staging area where we can all get together to come across the finish line as a team.

So back to the legs.... Here is the info.  Pick a first, second and third choice and email them to me.  If you have some special circumstances helping you make your decision let me know so I can make sure they can be accommodated  :)  

Runner #1 - 5.1 Easy {leg 1}, 8.5 Very Hard {leg 13}, 5.6 Hard {leg 25}

Runner #2 - 6.7 Hard {leg 2}, 3 Easy {leg 14}, 5.3 Hard {leg 26}

Runner #3 - 5.6 Moderate {leg 3}, 4.9 Moderate {leg 15}, 5.1 Moderate {leg 27}

Runner #4 - 5.1 Moderate {leg 4} 3.1 Easy {leg 16} 5 Hard {leg 28}

Runner #5 - 7.4 Very Hard {leg 5} 5.9 Moderate {leg 17} 4.1 Moderate {leg 29}

Runner #6 - 6.9 Very Hard {leg 6} 5.2 Hard {leg 18} 3.6 Easy {leg 30}

Runner #7 - 4 Easy {leg 7} 3.9 Moderate {leg 19} 4.1 Easy {leg 31}

Runner #8 - 3.4 Easy {leg 8} 7 Moderate {leg 20} 6.1 Moderate {leg 32}

Runner #9 - 3.5 Easy {leg 9} 6.2 Moderate {leg 21} 3.6 Very Hard {leg 33}

Runner #10 - 3.5 Easy {leg 10} 6.4 Moderate {leg 22} 4 Very Hard {leg 34}

Runner #11 - 3.8 Very Hard {leg 11} 4.6 Moderate {leg 23} 6.9 Very Hard {leg 35}

Runner #12 - 3.1 very Hard {leg 12} 5.2 Moderate {leg 24} 5 Easy {leg 36}

As we all should know by now... my email is info@theribbonspot.com

A couple o’ answers

Lindsay here… trying to dispense what I know so that you have a better understanding of what’s to come…

Clothing: most of us who did the Texas run wore sweats during our ‘off’ times. I had two pair of pants and one sweatshirt. Also, I had 2 clean shirts (one short, one long). As for running clothes, we packed our ‘leg’ outfit in gallon sized bags with everything we’d need: sports bra, socks, shirt, shorts/skirt, print out of the leg, etc. That way you didn’t have to root through everything (and it gets super packed with 6 women) to find what you needed. I’d also suggest bringing an extra pair of shoes… just in case of rain. Also, bring Crocs or sandals that you can put on for in the car and post run. And, lastly, we changed in the car. Some were more modest than others, but your fellow runners will give you the privacy (or lack thereof) that you want.

Food: bring a few of your favorite snacks for the car, but know that you’ll have some time to shop for something more substantial during your off times. Our vans went to Walmart and Subway to stock up and get fed. We had coolers in back with ice to keep the drinks cold. We tried to get ‘good’ snacks for the car: string cheese, crackers, beef jerky, protein bars, etc. It helped balance the candy, Diet Coke (my post run option), and chocolate.

What to bring: we’ll definitely need to divide and conquer. We all brought individual packages of wipes, bandaids, sunscreen, etc and we had way too much and it took up way too much room. As it gets closer, I suggest we make a list (we can use and update the one from Texas) and divvy out assignments. We don’t all need to bring the Costco sized bottle of Aleve. Also, each car will have to have certain essentials: a reflective vest (we found it easiest to have 2 per car, better for exchanges), a GPS (iPhones count), 2 headlamps, etc…. again, we can divvy that out amongst ourselves.

Volunteers: volunteers are at the major exchange points (and maybe all exchanges with all the people running WB) and check teams in, answer questions, provide hot chocolate, etc. They also help keep traffic flowing and make sure that we are keeping in the Ragnar rules.

I can’t wait for the big race!

Love to the Mommies Got Back and Energizer Runnies

I am planning to do my intro soon, but until then, just had to let you know how excited I am about our Wasatch Back teams. This is going to be an amazing adventure!

Also...I live in SLC and would love to host a back yard BBQ for our teams the night before the big event so that we can all connect and celebrate our upcoming race.

Happy Running to All!

My intro coming soon...

A big hello from Idaho...

(Ogden Marathon 2007)

Hi everyone, my name is Roxanne and I will confess that I rather enjoy a good hill now and again. I started contributing on Marathon Mommies when I was pregnant so most of you probably remember me as the pregnant one. I am happy to say that I now have a six month old baby girl (who will most likely be nursing during this race, hmmm that is going to be interesting) and two boys, 5 and 3.

I met my husband while in college at Utah State University and have been married for 9 years now. We live in southern Idaho...a place I never ever thought I would live, and I stay home with my kids. I worked in the social science field for several years before having kids and realized that the best way to "save the world" was to raise healthy little people who will grow up and contribute to society in a positive way. I love my job, but will admit that it feeds my addiction to running.

I started running in college as a stress reliever and ran a few 5 and 10k's but really got into it after having my oldest son. I have many 5 and 10k's under my belt along with a few half marathons and one full marathon. Like many of you I have fallen in love with running and can't imagine life without it.

Running is on the top of my list of hobbies but I also like to water ski, snowboard, hike mountains, backpack, swim, cook, read, listen to music (yea, I am the one who likes to rock out when I run), pottery, drawing, and using my hands.

I have had a rough past six months trying to get my body to work again after having a very large baby. My hips and pelvic area are still hurting when I run and to top it off I was just diagnosed with Menieres Disease this past month. Thus it has been hard to get my running self back and I am feeling pretty frustrated about it. So lets all hope that I will be ready by June to rock some of those hills!

I am loving all these introductions and can't wait to meet you all in June.

My little family December 2008

Guess what tomorrow is?

Any guesses?  There are clues on this page!  

It is the first official day of training if you are following their plan!  :)

Here is what the week holds on their plan:

Novice:

Monday: 15 Minutes

Tuesday:  Rest or easy cross train

Wednesday:  15 Minutes

Thursday:  Rest or easy cross train

Friday:  15 Minutes

Saturday: Rest or easy cross train

Intermediate:

Monday:  3 miles

Tuesday:  4 miles

Wednesday:  3 miles

Thursday:  4 miles

Friday:  3 miles

Saturday:  5 miles

Happy Running!

Weekly Q & A roundup....

Ok so we had some good questions this week.  I will try to get the answers out as clearly as I can.  Again if you think of more questions post them in the comments here and I will hold another answer session {I am thinking of doing this weekly :)}

1.  "how much were the vans?"  ~  They were each $318 so about $650 per team (you need 2 vehicles) divided by 12 runners was about $55.00 dollars each.  We can totally try to get vans but everyone needs to be ok with the cost.  

2.  Getting up to Logan~ Several of us will be coming from the south end of the valley (my parents are in Draper) so we can all carpool up together  :)

3.  I thought of something else this week that I had forgotten about.  Volunteers.  Each team is required to provide 3 volunteers or you have the option to pay instead of providing volunteers.  Each volunteer shift is 4-6 hours long.  To pay for them it is $120 a volunteer ($360 for 3) or $30 per person if we pay for all 3.  You can do a mix of 1 volunteer and pay for 2 or 2 volunteers and pay for 1.  We have a little bit of time but need to know for sure by about the middle of May in order to pay for any.  What are you thoughts on the subject?

4.  Lindsay and I are excited because they posted the dates for the Texas race this week.  October 16-17.  Look at your calenders ladies Lindsay and I would love to have you come join us down here in our neck of the woods.  (and it is still warm at that time of year down here)

My name is Patti, and I never thought I would be a runner. I grow up playing sports, and excelling at tennis and soccer. My freshman year at BYU I made the women's tennis team, but I still didn't have any desire to run unless it was chasing the tennis ball. I have been married for 13 years and we have 3 boys. I taught school for about 6 years to 7th and 8th graders. I hope to one day go back, but right now I stay at home and it's great! With 3 boys the house is hopping. My oldest is 7 years old, then my 4 year old, and my 3 year old. My last two boys are the main reason I started running. They are only 11 months apart in age, I know...it's wild. I'm often asked if they are twins or what I was thinking. I was on bed rest and hospitalized with both of them, so I was really out of shape and a bit in the survival mode. And my father passed away from cancer.

So I decided I would start walking to get back in better shape. Walking took forever and I didn't like it, plus I was pushing a double stroller and the kids were not digging it at all. So one day my son says "faster mommy faster." And that was it, in fact he's still telling me faster. I was amazed at how fast my workout went by, walking took twice as long, I was sold. So for the last three years running has been like an obsession. Some people need their cup of Joe, I need my run, because it helps me be a better person and a much nicer mom. I haven't run as many races as I would like, my husband is a trail attorney which makes it tough to get the long runs in. But he's cleared his calender for June, and I'm so stoked to meet you guys and have an amazing time. I will continue to run during the week with my 3 year old, I have been running with him since he was a few months old, but he is getting heavier. And the long runs are heaven because I don't have to push the kids. My kids are so used to me running that the other day I asked my son if he wanted to run some errands with me, he said yes so I got in the car. He got really mad and said I thought we were "running" to the store.

I have run a few 10 mile races in town, which I love doing. I'm also planning on running the avenues of the giants half marathon in May, which should be some good training for ragnar. I'm so excited to meet you all, and can't wait to have fun.

Team #536

It’s official! I just registered team number two as the Energizer Runnies. Thanks to everyone for your input. For those who have not paid yet, the registration fee is still $85. Please email me if you need my address at teamhillman@comcast.net. Or if something has come up and you are no longer planning to run the relay let me know so we can get someone to fill the spot. Thanks again to everyone! I am getting so excited about the race.